For years, Cinco de Mayo has had a bad rap in the United States.
First, May 5th was mistakenly called Mexican Independence Day, and as such, it was celebrated by fraternities all over the US with tequila and Corona: Cinco de Drinko, cynics called it.
Then came the inevitable backlash from fans of historical accuracy: Cinco de Mayo isn’t Independence Day at all, they said —that’s September 16th. Cinco de Mayo, said historians, is a fake holiday pushed by big beer companies to jack up sales to drunken bros wearing oversized hats and making culturally insensitive jokes.
They’re wrong, too. It’s rather more complicated story has been lost somewhere in translation.
Cinco de Mayo, or the 5th of May, isn’t even celebrated that much in Mexico, except in the state of Puebla. On May 5th, 1862, the Mexican army — against long odds — beat back France’s forces. That was no small feat, considering the Mexican forces were outnumbered at least two to one and were nowhere near as well-equipped.
Also, France’s military was at the time considered to be one of the best in the world. Puebla fell two months later after an extended siege, but Mexico never forgot the initial humiliation France suffered. They never let France forget, either.
But still, if you go to Mexico in early May you won’t find much fuss or fanfare. The persistence of the myth of this being Mexican Independence Day is an almost completely American creation, some researchers say. Others go farther than that: Cinco de Mayo, they say, is a uniquely Californian holiday.
California was first claimed by Spain until Mexico gained its independence in 1821. Then, California was Mexican until its annexation by the United States. California became a state in 1850, freshly minting thousands of new Americans, absorbing thousands more who had come for the gold and stayed for the beauty and opportunity, and retaining a distinctly Mexican flavor.
Thus, it makes sense that a little more than a decade later, people in California, many of whom retained strong ties to Mexico, would be delighted to hear that French forces were roundly beaten back at Puebla – so delighted that they celebrated, partying into the night. By May 5th, 1863, the day had become a symbol of Latino resistance, a theme that resonated to Mexican-Americans in California. The frat parties came later.
As the United States’ relationship with Mexico evolves, its understanding of what Cinco de Mayo is all about might change as well. But even though the truth is more complex than the story, the day remains a testament to California’s unique cultural heritage.
The beer companies don’t seem to be complaining, either.
